


Growing Pains

by Kerkerian



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Caring Steve, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Family, Fighting, Fluff, Hurt Danny, M/M, Phobias, Teenagers, mcdanno, rainstorm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 08:45:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15860211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerkerian/pseuds/Kerkerian
Summary: When Grace and he have a serious fight, Danny doesn't take it well.





	Growing Pains

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Five-0.

 

The sky is so dark that one could get the impression it was evening already when in fact it's only two in the afternoon. Steve is just pulling into his drive when the first fat drops land on the windshield of his truck, which he parks next to the Camaro; quickly, he gets out and pulls the shopping bags off the backseat. He's bought enough food for four people because Danny has just picked up Grace, and Charlie, who's at a birthday party, will join them in the evening; the bags are close to bursting. Ordinarily, Steve'd go twice, but since it's about to seriously bucket down any second now, he hoists all three bags up and manages not to lose anything on his way to the house.

Fortunately, the front door isn't locked; he leans against it, trapping the groceries between the wood and his torso and balancing on one leg to keep them in place, and lets himself in. With a bit of hopping and juggling, he keeps his balance: “Anyone give me a hand?”

But the voices he's hearing don't appear to notice him, or maybe they're ignoring him: Eddie is the only one who comes and greets him. From the sounds of it, Grace and Danny are in the kitchen, and as Steve approaches the room, he can make out what they're saying:

“... unfair! I told you Kim's sister will be chaperoning, and there's nothing going on you wouldn't approve of!” Grace sounds upset.

“How do you know?” Danny asks. “And how old is that sister, if I may ask? Apart from that, it's on a catamaran! 30 kids on a death trap with no adult to supervise them- sorry, but that doesn't sound trustworthy to me.”

“A _death trap_?”

“You don't wanna know.”

“Oh, but I do! What is it that makes catamarans so dangerous, huh?”

“Mind your tone.” Danny's voice is becoming quiet, which is never a good sign.

“If you mind yours.” Grace sounds challenging now. Steve, who's stopped in his tracks because he really doesn't want to interrupt them, inwardly winces: whenever she's trying to provoke Danny, he commiserates with his partner, because it's the one thing Danny can't handle, Grace being mean on purpose. He knows that he shouldn't even react to that, but to him, Grace is still the perfect little girl who never does anything wrong; it's difficult for him to see how grown up she is at times.

“Excuse me? You don't get to speak to me like that.”

“But I just did. And you didn't answer me, _Dad_. What's so dangerous about catamarans?”

Steve knows that Danny'd never tell her about the students who were abducted from a catamaran a few years ago, or how quickly Kamekona's latest business venture sank once it caught fire. Instead, he hesitates, and his voice is still very quiet when he speaks: “I don't want you to spend a day out at sea on one, period.”

It sounds like Grace actually stamps her foot at that: “Why not! What do you think is going to happen, huh? That we'll dance around naked while drinking buckets of tequila?”

Steve grimaces: wrong thing to say.

“I don't want you to go.” Danny's voice is low and trembling. “And I'm going to ignore what you said just now. Maybe you should go to your room and we'll talk about this later.”

“You just don't want me to go because you're scared!” Grace all but snaps. Steve didn't even know she could sound like this. “You're hiding behind your fears, it's what Mom always said and she's right! You almost flinch every time I want to go swimming, I hate it when you do that! And I'm gonna ask her anyway, so we don't need to discuss this ever again!”

A moment later, she storms out of the kitchen, glaring at Steve in the process, and stomps up the stairs.

Stunned, Steve looks after her before he gets moving again; his arms are growing heavy.

Danny is standing by the kitchen island, stony-faced and rigid; he looks as though he's been struck by lightning.

Steve quickly eases the grocery bags onto the worktop, then he turns to his partner: “Danno?”

But Danny doesn't answer him. He just squeezes past Steve, avoiding eye contact, and leaves the kitchen; a moment later, Steve hears the front door open and close once more. He immediately follows Danny, but by the time he's reached the front door, the Camaro is already backing out of the driveway. With a sigh, Steve returns to the kitchen and puts the groceries away, then he slowly walks upstairs, Eddie at his heels. The door to Grace's room is closed, and he can't hear anything. So he knocks: “Grace? It's me.”

For a long moment, nothing happens, but then she opens the door, her face wet with tears. Steve's heart contracts because he's had a soft spot for her from pretty much the beginning, and he can't bear to see her like that. But she admittedly hurt Danny on purpose, so he tries not to feel too bad for her. Which works for about two seconds, then she wordlessly comes closer and burrows into him, and he can't but wrap his arms around her and just love her, no matter what happened.

Once she's calmed down somewhat, they sit down on her bed while Eddie lies down at their feet. Steve feels ill-equipped because he doesn't know what to say or how to console her: he's agreeing with Danny about the catamaran, if maybe rather for the '30 unsupervised kids' reason than thinking it's a death trap. But he can also understand her disappointment.

“I'm sorry I talked to Danno like that,” Grace however says out of her own volition, at which Steve can't but love her a little more. “I was being unfair.”

“And a little harsh,” Steve says, with a pang: he's once told Danny that he hates him, and he is still regretting it.

“Yeah,” she wipes her eyes. “But he just wouldn't understand! And he always expects the worst to happen!”

Steve regards her: “You know, without wanting to give you the impression that we're ganging up on you: I think he's right about that party. From what I could hear, it does sound as though all kinds of things could go wrong.”

“Could,” she replies with a bit of impatience flaring up again. “Could, could! That doesn't mean they have to!”

Steve subdues a smile: “Cut your dad some slack, Gracie. I know he's a pessimist by nature, but think about it: a lot of things have gone wrong in the past.” The winter formal for example isn't that long ago, after all.

She sniffles, wiping her eyes again: “I suppose. But what does he expect me to do? Hide at home all my life because of all the bad things which might happen to me?”

“No, of course not.” Steve shrugs: “Danno sometimes needs some convincing, or someone to suggest a compromise. That's what you've got me for.”

Grace looks at him, tenatively hopeful: “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Maybe I'll think of something.” He wonders what Tani and Junior will say if he asks them to spend a day on a catamaran with 30 teenagers.

“Thanks.” Grace drops her gaze: “But I don't think I'd be allowed to go anyway, not after today.”

Steve tilts his head: “Wait and see. But... you'll have to talk to him, and apologize.”

“I know. I didn't mean to hurt him.” Grace's voice is soft now.

“Well, he's got that tender heart,” Steve says, nudging her gently with his shoulder. “We're not always treating it carefully enough.”

“We?”

Steve sighs: “I've admittedly said things to him over time which I'm now regretting. You know he usually isn't resentful once he's gotten an apology- except for the one time I 'got him shot' on our first day together-” This elicits a small grin.

“- though I can't but think that all these hurtful things keep leaving their marks, you know?”

Grace nods in understanding. “I'm really sorry for what I said,” she mutters, sounding a little choked again.

“It'll be alright,” Steve tries to reassure her with more conviction than he feels.

“Steve.”

“Hm?”

“It's too easy to hurt someone you love.”

Steve ponders this: “You're right.”

“I hate that.” New tears are running down her cheeks. “Danno's always done everything for me. He sometimes forgets I'm not eight years old anymore. But I don't want him to get hurt! I love him so much...” She begins to sob. Steve puts his arms around her once more, rocking her ever so gently: “Danno knows that you love him, Sweetie,” he murmurs into her hair. “We both do.”

It takes a while for her to calm down this time: “Thanks,” she whispers once she's got her voice back under control.

Steve gives her a smile: “Should we try to call your dad?”

“Yeah.”

Before Steve can fish his own phone out of his pocket, Grace already got hers in her hand, but Danny doesn't pick up. Steve also tries it, to no avail. The rain is pelting down rather hard by now though, and Steve can see his own worry mirrored in Grace's expression.

“I think I know where he might be,” he says. “Will you be alright if I go and look for him?”

“Can't I come with you?”

“I'm not sure if that's a good idea. What if he comes back while I'm away?”

“Yeah.” She seems downtrodden. “And he probably doesn't want to see me anyway.”

“I'll find him and talk to him,” Steve promises. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

 

Steve doesn't like to leave Grace behind, but at least Eddie is with her, and knowing Danny, it's actually better if they don't descend on him together; Steve just can't forget the expression on his partner's face earlier before he left. So he slips into his waterproof windbreaker and heads for his truck.

The roads are wet and since the rain is driving down hard, it's difficult to see; Steve drives slowly, impatiently fidgeting in his seat. He doesn't have much hope of finding Danny in his usual spot, not in this kind of weather, but when he gets there nearly an hour later, the Camaro is parked in the small lot. Steve pulls up next to him and can barely believe his eyes when he makes out the hunched over figure on the stone wall.

Pulling up the hood of his jacket, Steve gets out of the truck and runs over to his partner, who is drenched and, judging from the way he's wrapped his arms around himself, freezing: “Jeez, Danny! What are you doing, sitting out here in the rain?”

Danny blinks at him: “I'm an idiot,” he replies tonelessly, Steve can barely understand him among the noise from the rain and the wind. “I just didn't see it before.”

“That's not an answer,” Steve says, “come on, we can talk in the car.” He tries to take Danny's hands, but the latter pulls away.

“Danny, come on,” Steve pleads, “this isn't you.”

Danny laughs bitterly: “Yes, it is. It's me after my daughter told me that I'm incapable of making the right decisions for her because I'm a coward. So here I am, in the same spot I'm always finding myself in every time something goes wrong again. Running away from the problem instead of facing it. Looks like she's got a point.” He's shaking from being cold and probably because he's tired, and Steve realizes how deeply Grace's words have affected him. So he makes a command decision, takes Danny by his shoulders and pulls him to his feet. Danny's struggle is brief if vicious: Steve really has to put in his weight to wrestle him into the truck, where he grabs a blanket from the backseat and wraps it around Danny. He slumps, shivering and dripping water.

Steve slips into the driver's seat and turns on the heating before he faces his partner, who just stares at his wet knees, all the fight gone now.

“Danno,” Steve says gently. “I talked to Grace. She cried because she regrets what she said to you. She's really sorry.”

Danny blinks: “Of course she is,” he mutters, his voice brittle. “She's a good kid.”

“But?” Steve therefore prompts him.

“I know she's sorry now, she hates it when we fight as much as I do.”

“But?” Steve insists.

“You know that old saying- 'children and fools speak the truth' or something like that. At the time, she meant what she said. She thinks I'm a coward, and she doesn't actually need me to make decisions for her. She can just as well ask Rachel.”

Steve takes a deep breath: “Aren't you a little hard on yourself now?”

Danny shrugs, burrowing deeper into the blanket; he's trembling, despite the warmth which slowly spreads in the car.

“You're not a coward,” Steve says, reaching out to caress Danny's cold cheek with the back of his fingers; this time, he doesn't flinch away. “On the contrary. You know that, I know that and Gracie knows that. She's just using whatever came to her mind in order to get one up on you, it's what teenagers do.”

Danny doesn't look convinced: “Sounded rather well-thought out to me.”

“Really? To be honest, I was rather reminded of a parrot, randomly repeating stuff someone else said.”

Danny closes his eyes for a moment, then he reaches out for Steve's hand without looking at him, holding on to his partner as though he was a lifeline.

“You're freezing,” Steve says gently. “Let's get you home, and once you're dry, you should talk to Grace.”

Hesitantly, Danny nods. “Maybe she doesn't need me anymore,” she mutters.

It pains Steve to hear his desolate tone and see him so defeated: “She'll always need you,” he objects. “Right now, she might feel like she's all grown up and responsible for her own life, but that doesn't mean she could do without you.” He takes a deep breath: “She's so lucky to have you, Danno.”

Danny's eyes are moist now: “I don't know about that.”

“But I do,” Steve says quietly, concerned about his partner's despondency.

Danny remains silent.

 

When they arrive back at the house, it's past five already, and the rain hasn't lessened much. Grace appears on the top of the stairs as soon as she hears the front door, and she looks equally relieved and anxious when she sees Danny.

Steve follows him upstairs, where Grace hugs her father: “I'm so sorry, Danno,” she sobs, and he hugs her to his chest and strokes over her head until she's calmed down: “I'm going to take a shower,” he then tells her softly.

“Okay.” She looks at him as he disappears in the bedroom, then turns towards Steve: “What happened?”

“He's pretty shaken,” Steve replies in an undertone. “Sat in the rain for at least an hour.”

Grace bites her lower lip: “I'm sorry,” she all but whispers.

“Can't change what's done,” Steve says gently. “We'll take care of him now, okay?”

“Yes.”

 

It takes ten minutes until Danny is sufficiently warm again. Steve makes some strong black tea in the meantime and adds a splash of rum: best way to get warm from the inside after a storm. Or so his great-grandfather, a Scottish fisherman, reportedly said.

He takes the mug up to the bedroom where Danny has slipped into dry clothes by now: “Here. McGarrett gale special.”

Danny doesn't smile at that, but he nods: “Thanks.”

“Hey.” Steve cups Danny's jaw with his hand for a gentle kiss: at first, Danny doesn't respond, but eventually, he kisses Steve back, leaning into him a bit. Steve rubs one hand over his partner's back: “I love you,” he tells hims softly. “So much.”

Danny makes a small, grateful sound which goes straight into Steve's heart.

“I'll be downstairs,” he says once they've pulled apart. “In case you need me.”

 

Grace is chewing on her lips in a telltale way; Danny knows that she's genuinely sorry even before she repeats it as he enters her room. Just like Steve, he sits down on the bed next to her, and what he wants to say doesn't come easily.

“I know you are,” he replies softly. “And I'm sorry too, for having to deny you something you want so much. I know that I'm not as involved in your life as I once was, and a lot of the time, your mom decides about these things. But when I'm making a decision like this, it's for a reason, and whether you like it or not, it's valid. I'm having your best interests at heart, you don't get to doubt my reasons. Are we clear on that?”

“Yes, Danno,” Grace murmurs, downtrodden. For a long while, they just sit side by side silently. Grace can sense that her dad is tired, and he doesn't seem alright. Whenever they fought, and it hasn't happened that often, the atmosphere was light again as soon as they had talked and exchanged apologies. This however is different.

So she takes a deep breath: “You know that I didn't mean what I said earlier, do you?” she asks quietly.

Danny doesn't answer at once: “Yeah,” he eventually says. “But I'm wondering what's brought it on.”

Grace pulls up one knee and wraps her arms around it: “I don't know,” she says unhappily. “But it's not true that Mom always said something like that. I think she said that to you, once, when we were still in New Jersey, and I didn't forget it because I didn't understand it at first.” She glances at him almost timidly, but Danny isn't looking at her; he's gazing at his hands which are resting in his lap.

“And I know that it wasn't true anyway,” Grace therefore continues.

Danny snorts: “Not so sure about that,” he mutters.

Grace sits up a little straighter, letting go of her leg: “But I am, Danno.” She looks at him until he finally meets her gaze.

“You meet everything head-on,” she says. “You moved here for me and you stayed, even though you were unhappy and alone at first. You saved Steve's life several times by now, you even gave him part of your liver. You wouldn't do all this if you weren't brave.”

“And yet I still have a problem with the ocean,” he says softly.

She regards him fondly: “Still. Everyone's afraid of something. It's unfair to use it against them.”

Danny nods: “It's not so nice to have some of the worst things one thinks about oneself confirmed.”

Grace bites her lip again; she knows why her dad isn't a fan of the ocean, and he still learned how to surf for her.

Danny now shakes his head ever so slightly: “I know I'm worrying too much. I can't help it, I was always like that. But today had nothing to do with my own fears, Monkey, please believe me.”

Relieved to hear her nickname, Grace nods: “Okay. I'm sorry, Danno.”

“Stop apologizing.” He sounds weary now, but he gives her a small smile.

“I love you, Danno,” Grace says very softly and shifts closer so she can tuck herself under his arm.

“I love you too, Monkey,” Danny replies, kissing her hair.

She peers up at him: “Are we good, then?”

“Yeah.” He gently squeezes her shoulder. “We're good.”

 

An hour later, the mother of one of his friends drops Charlie off; he's on the remnants of a massive sugar high and dead tired, therefore he's exuberant and doesn't want to go to bed, fighting to stay awake even though his eye-lids are drooping. By the time he's finally nodded off, Danny is rather worn out himself. With a yawn, he puts the book he was reading to Charlie on the nightstand (“Findus Plants Meatballs”), then he gets up and quietly leaves the room.

Eddie is lying in front of the door; he gets to his feet now, wagging, and Danny takes his time to cuddle the dog. Downstairs, Steve and Grace are sitting on the couch, watching TV and snacking on a plate with sandwiches and fruit, but Danny can't find it in him to join them. Despite his talk with Grace, he feels too emotionally bruised for this kind of uncomplicated normalcy, and he isn't hungry either. So he pads into the bedroom instead and lies down. For half an hour or so, he's wide awake and just listens to the rain, but then Eddie, who's followed him, jumps onto the bed with a surreptitious expression. Instead of sending him to his own bed, Danny just wraps his arms around the dog and pulls him closer. Eddie snuffles contentedly, and Danny is glad that he's there. He's asleep within minutes.

 

When Steve comes in some time later, he isn't too surprised. He just takes a blanket and spreads it over his partner. Danny doesn't stir, not even when Steve gently runs his fingers through his hair; not surprising either, considering. He subdues a sigh; what a day. Grace told him that they made up, and she seemed relieved. Judging from this, however, the whole thing was quite a blow for Danny, and Steve can't blame him.

Grace looks up at Steve uncertainly when he returns to the living room: “Is he alright?”

“I think so. He's gone to bed. We came home late yesterday, he didn't get much sleep.” Which isn't even a lie.

Grace regards Steve attentively nevertheless: “He's taking this really hard,” she states. “I wish I hadn't said anything!”

Steve sits down next to her again: “He'll be alright. He just needs to digest that you two had a fight.” At least he hopes so; Grace doesn't look entirely convinced either.

When Steve crawls into bed later, Danny hasn't really moved, and neither has Eddie. They adore each other, which Steve can admit without being jealous. So he just snuggles against Danny's back and puts his arm around him.

“S'eve?” Danny doesn't sound particularly awake.

“Hm?”

“You think I was too soft on her?”

“Today?”

“Nah... in general. Maybe I spoiled her, didn't make her take me serious enough...”

Steve reinforces his grip around his partner and kisses him on his temple: “Not at all, Danno,” he says gently but firmly. “If there ever was one person who did everything right, it's you.”

Danny remains silent.

“Stop doing this to yourself,” Steve murmurs, rubbing his nose against Danny's skin. “She does take you serious, she just wanted to challenge you because she felt cornered.”

Danny sighs and doesn't say anything else, but at least he presses back into Steve's embrace.

 

On the following morning, which is a Saturday, Danny wakes up alone. He can hear voices downstairs which sound like Steve and Charlie. Since his son is an early bird, he's glad that Steve usually rises early as well and that he enjoys spending time with Charlie.

Danny turns onto his side and closes his eyes again: he's feeling a little off with his head being the worst; probably serves him right for being stubborn and sitting in the cold rain for almost two hours. He's also tired because he kept waking up during the night, his mind reeling. The disappointment he felt yesterday is still palpable, the painful realization that he actually _can_ do wrong in his daughter's eyes- he'll have to come to terms with that. Yes, Grace told him that she didn't mean it, that it wasn't fair to throw his weaknesses in his face, and she probably didn't. But she said it, he can still hear it in his mind, and it will take a while until he can handle her criticism and how it was delivered.

He's almost dozed off again when there's a tentative knock on the door, and then Grace peers in: “Danno?”

“Hm?” He blinks, trying to get rid of the grit in his eyes.

“Can I come in?”

“'Course.”

Grace is still wearing her pyjamas as she's sitting down on the bed now, looking very much like child rather than a young woman, and Danny's heart swells with love at the sight.

“Come here,” he mutters, lifting up the blanket, and she slides under it and down next to him just as she's done countless times when she was scared in the night or just needed him close, facing him.

“Are you okay, Danno?” she asks , her eyes wide.

Danny regards her: “Getting there,” he mutters truthfully.

“I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you so badly, or to ruin your weekend.”

“You don't have to keep apologizing,” Danny says softly. “I told you, we're good. Nothing's ruined.”

“Okay.” But she doesn't sound convinced.

Danny sighs: “Really, Monkey.” His rattled ego isn't something she needs to concern herself with, after all, and nor is the fact that he's now questioning his entire parenting style. He doesn't want to make her feel bad either, but he can't help how miserable he feels. Grace is one of the most important persons in his life, for a time has been the one most important person, which is why she can pull the rug from underneath his feet so easily.

Grace studies him: “Are you coming down to breakfast?”

“Yeah.” He sits up and promptly sneezes.

 

Steve looks him over at once when Grace and he come in: “Good morning,” he says, while Charlie scrambles off his chair and throws himself at his dad. Danny catches him and lifts him up on his hip: “Morning, Squirrel.”

Charlie plants several sticky kisses on his face: “Good morning, Danno.”

Grace watches them almost wistfully, which is more than Danny can bear: “Hey, Charlie,” he says softly. “Better save some for your sister too, huh?”

Charlie immediately reaches for Grace, who doesn't hesitate to join them; Danny puts his free arm around her while Charlie kisses her as well.

Steve watches them with a goofy smile, and Danny feels a little better afterwards. He just doesn't have it in him to treat someone with cold detachment or disdain, and he loves Grace too much to ever do that to her. It just didn't occur to him before how vulnerable that love leaves him, at least not with such clarity. He always knew that his daughter was his weak point, the person he wanted to protect at all costs; Rick Peterson and his twisted attempt at revenge comes to mind, or his own dreading the moment she'll leave for college. But Danny didn't expect that Grace herself could be the one to shake him to the very foundations like this. He has rarely felt so helplessly foolish.

 

The rain has let up a bit, but it increases again before they are done with breakfast. Steve takes Danny aside in the kitchen afterwards: “You okay? You look pale.”

“I'm fine,” Danny mutters. “Just tired.”

Steve regards him with obvious concern, but doesn't say anything.

 

They spend the morning doing chores and playing Lego with Charlie while Grace is busy with her homework; she usually tries to get it all done on Friday, but since the previous day was a write-off, she didn't do much.

By the early afternoon, Danny can't deny any longer that he's feeling under the weather; his sinuses are congested, his eyes are glassy and his head aches. So he crawls onto the couch and curls up in a ball.

A few minutes later, someone covers him with a blanket: it's Steve, who now sits down on the edge of the seat next to Danny's hip: “So when you said you were fine earlier...”

“Yeah,” Danny grumbles, “I lied.”

Steve's expression is full of affection as they behold one another silently for a moment: “I love you,” he then says softly, caressing Danny's cheek.

“Love you too,” Danny replies; his voice is hoarse.

“Do you need anything?

“No, thanks. I'll just take a nap.”

Steve nods: “Gracie is upstairs and Charlie wants to help me work on the Marquis. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.” Danny's voice is hoarse. “Thank you for not saying I'm an idiot who's brought this on himself.”

Steve smiles at him: “Since you already know it, there's no need for me to point it out, Babe.”

 

Danny falls asleep soon after closing his eyes again and only wakes up almost two hours later. His feet are pressed against something pleasantly warm, which, as he discovers when he unglues his eyes, is because Grace is sitting at the far end of the couch with her phone and her tablet. She looks up when she realizes Danny is awake and looking at her: “Hey,” she says softly. “How are you feeling?”

Danny slowly lifts one hand to rub over his eyes: “Been better,” he replies hoarsely.

Grace nods towards a thermos on the coffee table: “I made you the disgusting tea Steve bought. But I put lots of honey in it.”

Danny blinks: “Thank you, Monkey.” He doesn't feel like sitting up, however, so he just stays where he is, wrapped in the blanket with his feet against Grace's leg.

She seems to contemplate something, judging from the way she's looking around the room now, chewing on her lip. Then she takes her phone to make a call, pointedly avoiding Danny's gaze: “Hi Mom... yeah, we're fine. I just wanted to ask you something.” She fidgets with the hem of her shirt now: “I know we agreed we weren't gonna talk about it ever again, but... could you tell Danno about the fight we had?... Yes, that one. ... Everything. … Because we had a fight yesterday and I was being a real jerk. I need him to know that it happens with you too.” She wrinkles her nose: “Sorry. … I know. I love you too. … Thank you, Mom. You're the best. Here's Danno now.” She hands her phone to Danny without looking at him, then she quickly gets to her feet and disappears in the kitchen.

“Hello, Daniel?”

“Hi, Rache.”

“What happened?”

Danny pinches the bridge of his nose:“Oh, you know... hormones. And a disagreement about a party on a catamaran.”

“I see. You sound awful, by the way.”

“Just a cold.”

“Hm.”

“So, what was it that you're supposed to tell me?”

He can hear Rachel taking a deep breath: “We had a fight, as she said. It was ugly, I have never seen her so angry. At one point she told me that there probably was a reason why I was divorced for the second time, and I... I started to cry. Not my proudest moment.”

Danny is silent for a beat: “I'm sorry,” he then says softly.

“It's okay,” Rachel sighs: “She apologized for it later, and even though she knew full well what she was saying, it was born out of rage. She wouldn't normally say something like that. Or even think it.”

“You sure about that?” Danny can't stop himself from asking. “She's coming of age, she's got different views. And she thinks she's all grown up.”

“I know. But she's still our little girl, who is slowly discovering that we're only human.” Rachel sounds fond as she says it. “Whatever she said to you yesterday, Daniel- she loves you with all her heart. She may act horrible at times, but I'm sure she isn't happy about it either.”

“Hm.” Danny briefly closes his eyes. “Maybe you're right.”

“I most certainly am. And what's worse: even if she does judge us, she is entitled to her opinions.”

“As long as she doesn't throw them into our faces like that.”

“Do I detect some injured pride?”

He can't but laugh a little: “You know me too well.”

“Yeah.” Rachel's voice is soft.

"Rache?"

"Yes?"

"Did it ever feel to you as though she didn't need you anymore?"

"No." Rachel's voice is firm. "She's getting increasingly independent, but as I said, she's still our little girl, and always will be."

"'kay." Danny is glad that they talked. “Thank you, Rache.”

“You're welcome. Now kiss Charlie and Grace from me, okay?”

“Yeah. See you later.”

“Bye.”

He ends the call, then scrambles to his feet and pads over to the kitchen.

Grace is cutting open some kiwis and oranges, but she pauses as he comes in.

Wordlessly, he puts his arms around her and holds her tight: “Thank you,” he murmurs into her hair.

Grace sags against him a little: “I love you, Danno,” she replies softly.

“I love you too.” He kisses her forehead: “No matter what.”

“I love you more. No matter what.”

If Danny's eyes are a little moist now, it's probably because of his cold.

 

When Steve and Charlie are leaving the garage for a cocoa and cookie break some time later, they find Danny, Grace and Eddie snuggled up on the couch, watching a Friends rerun.

“Look at my hands!” Charlie says proudly, showing them his greasy, black paws.

“Did you get the car running again?” Grace asks.

“No,” Charlie replies matter-of-factly. “It needs new parts first.”

Steve seeks Danny's gaze, a question in his eyes, at which Danny gives him an exhausted but genuine smile. As he ushers Charlie into the bathroom to wash their hands Steve is relieved to see that the peace seems to have been restored for good.

 

That night as they get into bed, Danny crawls into Steve's arms, shivering.

Steve holds him tightly, rubbing his back: “Need a hot water bottle for your feet?”

“Yes,” Danny mutters grumpily against Steve's bare skin. “But it's downstairs and you're here. And if you go downstairs to get it, you'll take your warmth with you.”

Grinning, Steve motions for Eddie to jump on the bed; he's an excellent foot warmer, after all.

The shivering thus subsides after a few minutes, leaving Danny boneless with fatigue. Steve gently runs his fingers through his partner's hair; Danny told him what transpired that afternoon, and he's glad that things are looking up again, for everyone's sake, but mainly because he can't bear to see Danny hurting. Who once compared him to a half-baked cookie, but Steve thinks that no one he knows is as soft on the inside as Danny, with his big, defenceless heart and his unlimited capacity for compassion.

“I love you,” he murmurs.

Danny, already half asleep, mutters something that translates into something along the lines of 'I love you too, now let me sleep, you big goof'.

Steve closes his eyes, smiling; it's definitely too early to mention the catamaran again, but they're getting there.

Gently, he tightens his grip around his partner: "Good night, Danno."

 

 

The End

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm not a Native Speaker, therefore I apologize for any mistakes.


End file.
